Cut fuel prices or we blockade again

David Handley, who led the protests four years ago, tells the prime minister he has a week to act  or else

Four years ago a group of farmers at a livestock market in north Wales got talking about the extortionate price of fuel and decided enough was enough. They blocked a fuel depot and within hours the protest snowballed across the country.

This time we are being inundated with support before any action has taken place. Our campaign group, Farmers for Action, has told the government that if the crisis of fuel prices is not addressed in the next seven days we will have no alternative but to call people out again.

Fuel prices have now exceeded the levels during the last big protest. A litre of unleaded petrol priced at about 75p four years ago has risen to 98p in some areas; diesel has risen from similar levels to 90p; and subsidised diesel used by agriculture, shipping and the railways has soared from 16p to 24p in eight weeks.